1,048596
by Pions
Summary: It's been weeks since that Hououin Kyouma saved me when I was being attacked, but I'm still in Akihabara. If I don't find him soon, I'll return to LA, but returning without having met him would be disappointing... Kurisu's POV.


When I look through the window, I see an unusual street. It's full of shops offering manga, anime and pc parts, and full of people looking for all this stuff. Suddenly, a fly in the window's glass catches my attention. It seems as if it was looking at me, observing everything I do. If it was actually observing me, what would it see? What would it think of me, of my past?

I realize I'm thinking something totally weird and I smile. What am I even doing? Right now, I'm in an odd restaurant full of pink and with maids instead of normal waitresses, who are dressed in a maid uniform. Actually, there are a lot of customers, most of them males, who seem to come here regularly, since they call the maids by their names.

Well, I have to say that his is not the kind of restaurants I'm used to go. I'm in here because of a man I met just 20 minutes ago. It's not like I normally accept to go to this kind of places with complete strangers I've just met on the street, I just followed that man because he had saved me three weeks ago when I was been attacked. I can't remember very well, since I fainted due to some reason I don't know, but I remember him defending me and ending up being stabbed. I think I tried to call an ambulance, but when I regained my conscience, he had just disappeared. He said something about being a mad scientist and his name being Hououin Kyouma (I wouldn't forget that pompous presentation of him, which he did while posing like an idiot), so from that day on I tried to get in touch with him, but there was nobody named after that name in any hospital.

It had been almost three weeks from that day, so I was on the verge of giving up when today, when I was going back to my hotel in Ochanomizu I just passed by a man wearing a lab coat in the crowd. When I went past him, I knew that the man with the lab coat was the one that saved me. I don't know why, but despite having seen him only that day, I can remember him crystal clear. And remembering him is the same as remember that long, white lab coat.

He seemed to remember me, since he stopped in the middle of the street too. When he turned, he had a strange expression in his face, full of surprise and happiness, as if he had just met an old friend he hadn't seen in ages. Without saying a word, he took his mobile phone and started talking, asking why was I there, and saying some kind of name or phrase I've heard somewhere (even I don't know where) before looking at me.

When he finally addressed to me, he said something like "It's nice to see you again, Christina!" I don't understand why, I really don't know, but some spinal connections made me answer without even thinking.

"As I said, I'm not Christina nor your assistant!" I answered. When I realized that what I had just said had no sense, I shut up. Why did I respond like that?

Smiling at my dumbfounded face, the man extended his hand and gave me a pin badge. I couldn't stop looking at him, at his golden eyes. Somehow, they made me feel at ease.

"Hey, Christina, have you ever been to a maid café?"

"Eh? Um, no, why?" Why did he call de Christina? "By the way, Christina it's not my n-"

"Do you want to come with me to a maid café?" He magnificently interrupted me "I think we both want to talk to each other, am I right?"

He guided me through Akihabara, and we ended in a maid café called MayQueen Nyan Nyan. When we entered, I saw that girly restaurant, full of pink and with a sweet scent in the air.

"Welcome, meowster!" Meowster? What the hell? Did the maids also talk like that?! "Ah, Kyouma, I'ts been a while since you visited me! We have a lot to talk! I finally dominated the... Huh? Who is that pretty lady you are with? Should I be jealous?"

"Hi Fayris, she is a good friend, can you give us table for two? If you can, somewhere where we can talk, please"

The Fayris girl purred and led us to a small table without any costumers near. I was grateful for that, since I didn't like to be in the center of a noisy place like that restaurant was.

And here am I, in one maid café in Akiba with a man who I've only seen twice. I don't think he is a bad person, I mean; he saved me even though he didn't know me. He can be weird in the way he talks and acts, but I feel that this is some sort of facade. I can tell just from the look on his eyes.

By the way, the girl from before addressed him as if they were really close. Judging by how delusional Fayris seemed to be, I think they must have a good relationship. Maybe she is his girlfriend? I've never been in a romantic relationship with anybody, so I can't recognize couples at first glance, but they looked similar somehow, so...

By the way, how long I've been alone here? He told me he was going to the toilet one moment, but it felt ages ago!

If we think in terms of physics, this must be because I'm actually willing to talk to him (even though I'll never say that out loud). I've been thinking about time and its perception lately. As Einstein said, time depends on the perception of each one; he even said something like "If you spend two hours with your lover they seem like two minutes and if you spend two minutes with your hand in a heater they will seem like two hours". If you think like that, relativity is kind of romantic, yet a little bit cruel.

The man who took me here interrupts my thoughts when he arrives.

"Sorry for making you wait for me, assistant" he says, smiling at me.

I can't help but to smile back at him "I will forgive you if you don't call me assistant".

"That would be difficult, since that word is the one which describes your position in front of me, you know".

Okay, I shouldn't be laughing right now, but I can't help to chuckle. What happens with him? Is he actually an idiot?

"Okay, I'll ignore that for now. First of all, I would like to introduce myself properly, since I haven't had the opportunity yet. I'm Makise Kurisu (Ku-ri-su, not Christina), nice to meet you" I introduce myself, even if it's weird to introduce at that point.

"Nice to meet you Cristina" he doesn't give me the opportunity to correct my name "for me, there are people who call me Okabe Rintarou, but my real name is Hououin Kyouma, Mad Scientist, founder, genius (with an IQ of 170, like Thomas Alba Edison had) and Lab. Member 001 of the Future Gadget Laboratory, FUAHAHAHAHA" Okabe. Okabe Rintarou was his name. Strangely, it felt like when somebody says something you know but you don't remember at all. It was correct, his name is Okabe.

"Ooookay, now I understand everything! Since that time you introduced as Hououin Kyouma, I couldn't find you! God, you just could have introduced by your real name, you know? That would have made eeeeverything easier".

"It seems you don't understand, assistant. Mad scientists introduce themselves by their real name, you know? FUAHAHAH-"

"So it seems that my hypothesis was right, you are only a pompous, delusional idiot who saved me as a part of his own delusion, right? It kinda upsets me, y'now..." I wasn't exactly lying, if things were like that, my efforts for finding him would have been in vain, and, somehow, I didn't want him to be a simple pompous delusional nerd... It wouldn't have felt right. "Well, even if it was a part of your delusion, I have to thank you for saving me, so, well, thank you, Okabe".

His face became serious the moment he heard me pronounce his name. Maybe I should have called him Hououin?

"It wasn't a delusion." He was so serious that it caught me by surprise "I had to be pompous to attract your attention and that was what made me introduce in that way. But I helped you not because a delusion, but because you are... Someone important to me"

"Huh?" I didn't hear what he said in the end. "What did you say?"

"It's nothing" he shook his head.

"Anyways, I have a lot of questions to ask you. Why were you there? There shouldn't have been anybody there"

"Well, a friend of mine lost one 'Oopa' figure, a toy from the vending machines on the 4th floor, and I was looking for it. It's simple." Simple or not, it was weird for him to be there, but, well, I'll trust him. After all, he saved me, right? "Now it's my turn to ask a question, Christina".

"Christina? Who's this person?" Damn it, call me by my name, you idiot!

"It's your lovely name, dear assistant of mine" L-lovely? That word is like an antiparallel vector to him. Dammit, why am I blushing in the first place? "I have a question which refers to a different topic. What do you think about time machines?"

That question actually surprised me. Did he know that I was writing a thesis on time travel? And if he knew, why? My field is neuroscience, after all...

"Don't ask me about that topic... The assailant you saved me from was trying to steal my time travel thesis, you know? But, as you said, I don't want to talk about it right now, sorry"

"Then, I'll ask you another question, which might be more difficult than the previous one. If you don't feel comfortable, you don't have to answer me." He paused, and sighed before asking. "How are things with your father?" From the way he looked, he did make clear that he was asking that because he was worried, not because simple curiosity.

"You're right, it's difficult to talk about him" I sighed in response "How did you know that he was my father? He introduced himself as Nakabachi, right?"

"Well, it's not difficult to search someone's name on the Internet" I looked at his golden eyes, which didn't fail to make me feel at ease. Maybe I'll tell him, even if I haven't talked about my father with nearly anyone.

"Since he flew to Russia and got arrested, I haven't talked with him. Well it's not like we talked before that incident."

He made a face full of pain and sorrow. "Are you really okay? I know we've just met, but if you want, you can talk to me. I'll definitely hear you out."

"Well, I've had some time to deal with it, so now I'm fine, I think"

"Really?" Why did he care for me to that extent?

"Yeah, sure, don't worry" I tried to smile "So, you asked me about time machines, didn't you? Are you interested in that topic?"

"Well, kind of. I'm also interested in other things such as the multiverse theory or timelines. Do you think it's possible to invent one?"

"Well, if I had to start with the conclusion, I'd probably say that this idea is completely foolish... That's what I'd probably tell you, if I hadn't written that thesis. There are actually some theories which allow time travel, but we lack the technology or devices that would make that possible."

"Um, yeah. And what do you think about the black hole theory? If you could create a micro black hole and send something through its singularity, you could travel into the past."

"Theoretically speaking, yes, but the risk is very high. If you fell into the event horizon, you wouldn't make it, for example. But, as I said, we can't create micro black holes. How do you think we could?"

"With a microwave" He laughed as he said this, not with that idiotic laugh of his mad scientist self but with a genuine one. I couldn't help but smiling both at his joke and the sound of his laugh. "Well, assistant, I have another question for you: have you had some weird, blurred dreams about things you never did?"

"Sorry?"

"Dreams in which you are doing things you haven't done, with people you've never met, for example."

Yes I had, but not with just 'people' appearing on them, but him. "They are really blurred, but since you saved me, I've had some of these dreams, as you say. Do you know anything about this? I thought maybe it was due to some kind of trauma or the impressions I had back then."

"Trauma? Why? Do you dream about that day?"

"Umm, that's not it. It's just that..." Arg, I screwed up, I didn't want to tell him. That he is _always_ in my dreams. I mean, well, I dream about a guy who I've only seen once (well, with today, twice), and I dream about him regularly. It's really embarrassing for me since in my dreams I'm always with him, even I think I've seen somebody else on them... "It's just that you appear in some of these dreams, and I saw you for the first time that day..."

"Uhm, interesting..." He said this with a slight smirk in his face. What is he thinking? What does he think about me? Damn. Second time he makes me blush. What's with me today? "Do you remember what are you doing in these dreams? For example, in the ones I appear in."

"Well, I don't know very well since they are blurry, but in my dreams we are usually talking. In one of the clearer dreams, we are talking, and we are in some place with a green coach. Ah, and I remember another, in which you are almost crying in the bridge in front the UDX, and I'm saying something to you" _And the one in which we are kissing_. But like hell I'll ever tell him. Just thinking about that dream makes me fluster.

"That's interesting... Do you want to listen to a time travel story? No delusions, I promise."

"Hey, Kyouma and mistress it's late, do you want something for dinner?" Fayris interrupts us, and I don't have time to answer him.

"Yeah, I'm quite hungry. What about you assistant?"

"I'm not your assistant, but, yeah, I'm hungry too. What do you recommend me?"

"Ok, so two omurice, Fayris, please. To drink..." I don't know why, but he will ask for Dr Pepper. For sure. "Dr Pepper for me" Awkward. Why did I know?

"Same here" When Fayris leaves, he says something about Dr Pepper being the drink of intellectuals or something like that. Some minutes later Fayris brings us the meal and we start eating.

"So? You were up to tell me a non-delusional story, remember?"

"God, you have no patience, right?" He isn't annoyed, he even smiles. "Are you sure? Whether you believe it or not, it's your choice".

Then, he starts explaining a weird, yet fascinating story, in which I met him in a different world, in a different timeline. Some of the things he says are similar in my dreams. In that story, I actually died that day three weeks ago, and he sent a text message which switched timelines. For some reason, he remembered everything. It seems that I was alive in that worldline, and I met him. I started going to that lab, where I met the other labmembers, and we made a time machine. Then, it seems that his childhood friend died, and, in order to save her, he had to return to his original worldline, and that I always trusted and helped him.

Returning to this worldline meant that I had to die. That's why he tried to save me, deceiving the world itself. That's why he was there; in the room my father attacked me.

When he saved me, he returned to the original worldline. He spent three weeks in the hospital and, the day he was discharged he met me. And that brings the story to an end, with us in this maid café.

"The doctor said that he even though that I was going to die, it seems I lost a lot of blood. He even laughed while telling me that! Can you believe it?"

How could he joke with that topic? If it was real, he had been in a very bad condition because of me. When he ended his story, the only sound we heard was coming from the noisy zone of the café, where customers and maids were happily talking and laughing. About his story... I don't know. I really don't know.

If you try to believe it...The story itself has logic. He explained everything in a way I think I got the gist of that. If it was real, it would be logic the fact that he knows a lot about me, and the fact that sometimes some ideas about him pop into my brain without me even noticing them would be explained too. His story also gives an explanation of why he saved me and why he was there. It might also explain why I can't stop looking at him.

But it's too unreal. From my perspective, I've just met him. I actually don't know him. Even if all he told me happened, it happened in another timeline (if they even exist), which it means it happened to another 'me', a different Makise Kurisu.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have told you that. I don't blame if you don't believe me." He was actually sorry. I don't blame him for misinterpreting my silence since I had been almost five minutes in silence, thinking about the story he told me.

"Ah, sorry, my bad. It's not like I don't believe you"

"So you believe me" His face files with hope when he hears me, but I don't want to fool him.

"Sorry. It's not that I believe it or not. It's just that it's a lot of information. I need time to process it, to think about it. What would you think if a stranger appeared one day and told you this kind of story? Even if you saved me back then, I can't believe everything you tell me. Sorry, it must be some kind of scientific way of thinking, but..."

"But that's how you are" And he smiles, with a genuine smile, which makes me stare at him with awe. "Well, it's late; I think we should get going, right?"

"Ah" It's already dark by now, and I told my mother that I would call her "Yeah, you are right! By the way, since I wanted to thank you for everything, today's lunch is my treat".

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I won't allow that. What kind of man lets a girl pay for him?"

"So now I'm just a girl? Even you call me assistant? Normally assistants pay, y'know, mad scientist?"

"Of course you are a girl! And after that, you are my assistant! FUUA-"

"Okay, I understand. But please don't laugh like that. It's really irritating." So he actually does consider me a girl? If that was true and I didn't have to cut his idiotic laugh, I'm pretty sure that I'd have blushed at his statement.

He pays and we go outside the café. He doesn't give me time to say anything when he asks if I would let him walk me to my hotel "It's dark, I don't want you to go alone".

That leaves me speechless, since when mad scientist are that considerate? "Ah, um, sure. But, just one question, won't your girlfriend get mad at you? You don't need to walk me to my hotel, really. What's more, you have just been discharged, so you should get some rest..."

"As you said, if your hotel it's near it isn't a problem. And, one question, what did you say about my girlfriend?" He started laughing, which confused me.

"Isn't that girl from before your girlfriend? I mean, you are both delusional, and, well, she is pretty... I don't know".

"Fayris? My girlfriend? I think you got it wrong, assistant! I can't even keep up with her pace! It's not like I have a girlfriend, after all! Mad scientists are loners who stay away from personal relationships and only value and love science!"

I'm the worst. I don't have any ability to identify social relationships and, even worse, I even felt a little relieved when he said that he didn't have a girlfriend.

Just when my cheeks acquire the greatest shade of red, we arrive to my hotel. Saved.

"This is my hotel, Okabe. Well... Thanks for today. I'm glad I met you, really." I smile at him.

"Same here. So then, goodbye, see you" As he turns to go away, something crosses my mind.

"Okabe!" He turns to look at me. "Well, it's just that... Well… Could you give me your mail or phone number? I still have lots of questions, and I don't have a way to contact you, and obviously I won't be wondering in Akihabara just to meet you again".

"Ah, sure!"

As I take my phone out of my pocket, I realize the battery is dead. "Uh, can you write it down for me? My phone is dead right now" .

Then, he takes a small paper out of his pocket and starts writing. When he finishes, he gives that paper to me. "Now it's for real, assistant." Oh god, he's entered in the Mad Scientist Mode. "Now that you know how to contact me, I must go. Protect that information with your life, as a good assistant should do, and don't ever fall for the Organization or the whole world will be in great danger. Be sure that they will attack you, as they have done with my other comrades. Stay strong. Now, I'm going to prepare myself for the Last Battle. Operation Ragnarok: start! Farewell, oh dear assistant of mine, I'll see you on the Valhalla! FUUAHAHAHAHA!"

What's with him? I can never tell what he is thinking about. And I'm not sure I ever will.

When he's gone, I look to the paper I have in my hands. There's a mobile phone number, an email and a name written. It kind of surprises me that he has written his real name, Okabe.

When I turn the paper, I realize that there's something more written on it. It seems a quote.

"Falling in love may not be the wisest thing to do, but gravity cannot be held responsible for it. - Albert Einstein"

God, this man is crazy... And interesting.

Akihabara, right? Maybe I will stay here a little bit longer...

* * *

_Hi everybody! It's Pions here!  
First of all, thanks for reading. This is my first time writing fanfiction (It's my first time writing something, actually), and since I loved (and love) Steins;Gate, I decided to try writing this. It ended up being way longer than I thought I'd write.  
Well, I'd love to have some reviews, and, if possible, some constructive criticism (please, help me to improve!)  
And, as I said, thank you everybody for reading!_


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